Battery cams: the next step?
Hello,
I’ve been using Reolink solar cameras for quite a long time now, so I’ve seen how their lineup has evolved. And honestly, they’re really close to having the best solar camera ecosystem out there, but it’s still not consistent.
The best example right now is the Altas range. Continuous recording works surprisingly well, especially if you’re using the 12W solar panel, it just runs without issues.
And the Smart Battery Mode is probably one of the most useful features they’ve added. It actually makes solar cameras practical over several cloudy days instead of just shutting down or forcing you to micromanage everything.
That’s why I think Reolink is missing a big opportunity here.
This should be their signature for solar cameras:
- continuous recording
- pre-recording
- smart battery mode
That combination is what really sets them apart from typical battery cameras.
But then you look at newer releases like the "Solar Floodlight Cam", and those features are missing… which is kind of frustrating.
What’s interesting is that the hardware is clearly capable. I also own Argus 3 Ultra (6000mAh) cameras, and since a recent update, they support scheduled continuous recording. With a 6W solar panel, on sunny days, they stay at 100% battery while recording continuously.
So it’s not a limitation of the devices.
From my experience with the Argus, it could sustain low-framerate continuous recording (like 1 fps at worst) over several cloudy days if something like Smart Battery Mode was applied more broadly.
To me, the future of residential solar cameras is pretty simple: if you have the right setup and enough sun exposure, continuous recording should be possible and the system should adapt intelligently when conditions aren’t ideal.
Reolink is basically already there. They just need to make these features standard across the whole lineup.